Recipes
Food
Shop
Cook Time

    Quick & Easy

    Everything Under 30 Minutes

    Ok, Let's Cook

    Everything 30 - 75 Minutes

    Let's Get Serious

    Everything 75 - 120 Minutes

    Worth the Effort

    Anything Over 120 Minutes
Houston Harvest
Join Our Substack
Minted Shrimp Pulao
30 Min
GF

Minted Shrimp Pulao

Electric-green varieties of mint are bursting out of large pots in my neighborhood and on our restaurant patio. While mint can tolerate some heat, its roots can be invasive, so I’ve learned to grow it only in pots and give it afternoon shade. Mint and shrimp are one of my favorite combinations, so I decided to give this pulao a try.

Pulao, also spelled pulav or pilaf, is an aromatic rice dish that originated in Iran. Because shrimp are susceptible to overcooking, you can finish cooking them mainly using the steam from the rice. Toss in the mint, which also has a delicate flavor in savory dishes, at the very end, and you have an easy meal that makes even better leftovers.

Share this recipe
Cook Time

30 minutes + soaking & rest time

Serves

4

Step 1
Rinse the rice in cold water twice. Soak it in fresh water for an hour. Drain.
Step 2
In a medium frying pan over high heat, warm the olive oil and toast the cumin seeds. Immediately add the onion or shallots. Cook over medium heat until translucent. Add the garlic, shrimp, green beans, ginger, turmeric, black pepper and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cook for no more than a minute, then turn off the heat. Set the pan aside, uncovered.
Step 3
In a medium stockpot, combine the drained rice with 2 cups of water, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover the rice and cook for another 5 minutes.
Step 4
Add the shrimp mixture and spread it over the rice. The rice will still have some liquid, but it will all be absorbed within a few minutes. Turn off the heat after no more than a minute or two. Let the pulao rest, covered, for at least 30 minutes — this is the most crucial step, as this is when the rice plumps up and the shrimp finish cooking, so don’t rush it.
Step 5
Just before serving, gently toss in the mint and serve with plain yogurt.

1 cup extra-long grain basmati rice

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 cup minced shallots of onion

2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 pound peeled and deveined 16/20 shrimp

1 cup (8 oz) green beans, trimmed

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

3 cups minced mint leaves

2 tablespoon chopped cashews

Notes & Variations

  • If using dried mint, use 1/2 cup. Plenty of fresh mint is available at farmers markets since it is in peak season now.
  • Green beans can be replaced with asparagus, Brussels sprouts or snap peas, or eliminated altogether.
  • Extra-long-grain basmati rice is available at Indian grocery stores or online. This rice is so beautiful and delicious that, like me, you may never go back to any other variety of rice.
Tags:
30 Min
GF

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS.

No need for a reservation when you can make these at home.

Leave a comment

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.

My Cart

Your Cart Is Empty